Although we started Media Orchard as a media and marketing blog, we tend to stray in our subject matter. We can't help it -- especially when it comes to celebrity foibles. We love dirt.
And with that, we introduce the Dirt 100.
The Dirt 100 is a global ranking of the top English-language gossip blogs. Celebrity gossip is big business on the Web, so we thought you'd like to know where the leading blogs stand as they scratch and claw their way to the top. We also hope that the Dirt 100 will encourage readers to look past the best-known blogs to some of the lesser-known gems across the blogosphere.
The Dirt 100, patterned after Todd And's Power 150, measures each blog's influence using a multimetric algorithm based on a combination of five sources:
Google PageRank (0 to 10) -- Google PageRank is a link analysis algorithm that interprets Web links and assigns a numerical weighting (0 to 10) to each site. High-quality sites receive a higher PageRank.
Bloglines Subscribers (1 to 20) -- Bloglines displays the number of subscribers for each blog's feed. Each blog is assigned a Bloglines value from 1 to 20 based on subscriber ranges (e.g., more than 20, more than 30, etc.). The more subscribers, the higher the Bloglines value.
Technorati Authority Ranking (1 to 30) -- Technorati's authority ranking shows the number of unique blogs that have recently linked to a given blog. The more link sources referencing your blog, the higher the Technorati ranking. Similar to a blog's Bloglines value, a blog's Technorati value is determined based on ranges (e.g., top 10,000, top 20,000, etc.), and each range is assigned a number (1 to 30) that is part of the algorithm.
Alexa Ranking (1 to 20) -- Alexa computes traffic rankings by analyzing the Web usage of millions of Alexa Toolbar users. A blog's Alexa value is determined based on ranges (e.g., top 10,000, top 20,000, etc.), and each range is assigned a number (1 to 20) that is part of the algorithm.
Dirt 100 Points (1 to 15) -- Like American Idol or Dancing With The Stars, Dirt 100 Points are determined based on a combination of judges' votes and reader votes, which are weighted equally to determine the Dirt 100 Points total. The judges are the folks at Media Orchard. The readers are people like you; just click "Rate this Blog" under a blog's name to cast your ballot.
All five metrics are added to determine each blog's total score. In the case of ties, the suborder is determined by Dirt 100 Points. If Dirt 100 Points are the same, Technorati authority ranking points are compared, followed by Bloglines subscriber points, Alexa traffic rank, and finally Google PageRank points.
Rankings are automated and updated weekly. If you'd like to recommend a blog for the list or add your own, please complete this brief form. If you'd like to spread the word, you can grab an image link here.
Enjoy!
Technorati tags: Gossip, Celebrities, Blogs, Britney, Paris Hilton, Entertainment, Hollywood, Lindsay Lohan, TMZ, Perez Hilton, Superficial, Best Week Ever, Egotastic, Pop Sugar, Hollywood Tuna, The Bosh, TV Squad, Juicy Rumors, Metadish, Pink is the New Blog, Glitterati, Celebrity Puke, Celebrity Hack, Celebrity Warship, Radar, Defamer
